Skip to main content

Table 2 Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity questionnaire.

From: Self-reported cold sensitivity in normal subjects and in patients with traumatic hand injuries or hand-arm vibration syndrome

 

Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity questionnaire (CISS).

Score

Normal population n = 93a

Traumatic hand injury n = 87b

HAVS n = 28

 

Total CISS score (4-100)

4-100

16 (4-62)2

45 (4-96)3

59 (23-94)3

1.

Not scored1

-

-

-

-

2.

How often do you experience these symptoms?

 

2 (2-10)2

8 (2-10)

8 (2-10)

 

-continuously/all the time

10

   
 

-several times a day

8

   
 

-once a day

6

   
 

-once a week

4

   
 

-once a month or less

2

   

3.

When you develop cold-induced symptoms, on your return to a warm environment are the symptoms relieved

 

2 (2-10)2

6 (2-10)3

6 (2-10)3

 

-within a few minutes

2

   
 

-within 30 minutes

6

   
 

-after more than 30 minutes

10

   

4.

What do you do to ease or prevent your symptoms occurring? (please tick)

 

4 (0-10)2

4 (0-10)3

4 (0-10)3

 

-take no special action

0

   
 

-keep hand in pocket

2

   
 

-wear gloves in cold weather

4

   
 

-wear gloves all the time

6

   
 

-avoid cold weather/stay indoors

8

   
 

-other

10

   

5.

How much does cold bother your injured hand in the following situations? Please score (0-10)

    
 

- holding a glass of ice water

0-10

0 (0-8)2

3 (0-10)

5 (0-10)

 

- holding a frozen package from the freezer

0-10

1 (0-9)2

5 (0-10)3

7 (0-10)3

 

- washing in cold water

0-10

0 (0-10)2

4 (0-10)3

7 (0-10)3

 

- when you get out of a hot bath/shower with the air at room temperature

0-10

0 (0-6)2

0 (0-8)3

3 (0-10)3

 

- during cold wintry weather

0-10

2 (0-10)2

8 (0-10)3

8 (4-10)3

6.

Please state how each of the following activities have been affected as a consequence of cold-induced symptoms in your injured hand and score each (0-4).

    
 

- domestic chores

0-4

0 (0-3)2

1 (0-4)3

2 (0-3)3

 

- hobbies and interests

0-4

0 (0-4)2

2 (0-4)3

3 (0-4)3

 

- dressing and undressing

0-4

0 (0-2)2

0 (0-4)

1 (0-4)

 

- tying your shoe laces

0-4

0 (0-3)2

1 (0-4)

2 (0-4)

 

- your job

0-4

0 (0-4)2

2 (0-4)3

3 (0-4)3

  1. Median values (range) for total score and individual questions1 in different subgroups.
  2. a and b Some variations in response rate (internal drop out) in separate questions were noted a n = 81-93,
  3. b n = 86-87
  4. 1Question number 1 concerns severity of different symptoms on exposure to cold and is not included in the total CISS score. See Fig 2 for detailed information.
  5. 2 Patients (= traumatic hand injuries and HAVS subsumed together) had significantly worse scores/problems than the normal population. Mann-Whitney U- Test; p = 0.002 to 0.04
  6. 3 A significant difference wasnoted between subgroups (Kruskal Wallis Test; p < 0.001). Patients with HAVS had significantly worse scores/problems than patients with traumatic hand injury. Mann-Whitney U-Test = 0.001 for all items.